Is this project an undergraduate, graduate, or faculty project?

Authors' Class Standing

Lead Presenter's Name

Katherine Cameron

Faculty Mentor Name

Kate Cameron

Abstract

Spruce Creek is a local river south of Daytona Beach with direct access to the ocean, making it popular for boaters. However, when the Florida East Coast Railway was built, one section was artificially shrunk by building peninsulas to make it easier to build a bridge across. While this saved the railroad money, the modifications caused the river’s current to become dangerously strong, making it difficult (and dangerous) for ocean-going boats to pass through. Efforts by the community to widen the river to make it safer have been complicated by economic and environmental concerns. This study aims to find a solution that satisfies people’s concerns in an economically-feasible manner that preserves the integrity of the ecosystem. This is based on research available on similar situations how solutions affected the ecosystem, studies done on Spruce Creek in previous years, and community information and knowledge on the health of the ecosystem and the difficulty any action may encounter. Each solution is to be analyzed based on 1) how well it satisfies the desires of the community, 2) how much the local or state government will have to spend, and 3) how healthy the river will be in the aftermath. Analysis has been stalled, however, due to the lack of information and difficulty getting information from the local government. When the analysis is complete, the solution can be handed to the local community and used to kickstart efforts to help their community, protecting Spruce Creek and ensuring the health of the water system.

Did this research project receive funding support (Spark or Ignite Grants) from the Office of Undergraduate Research?

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Solving the Spruce Creek Problem - Creating a Safer Water System Without Compromising the Environmental Health of a Water System

Spruce Creek is a local river south of Daytona Beach with direct access to the ocean, making it popular for boaters. However, when the Florida East Coast Railway was built, one section was artificially shrunk by building peninsulas to make it easier to build a bridge across. While this saved the railroad money, the modifications caused the river’s current to become dangerously strong, making it difficult (and dangerous) for ocean-going boats to pass through. Efforts by the community to widen the river to make it safer have been complicated by economic and environmental concerns. This study aims to find a solution that satisfies people’s concerns in an economically-feasible manner that preserves the integrity of the ecosystem. This is based on research available on similar situations how solutions affected the ecosystem, studies done on Spruce Creek in previous years, and community information and knowledge on the health of the ecosystem and the difficulty any action may encounter. Each solution is to be analyzed based on 1) how well it satisfies the desires of the community, 2) how much the local or state government will have to spend, and 3) how healthy the river will be in the aftermath. Analysis has been stalled, however, due to the lack of information and difficulty getting information from the local government. When the analysis is complete, the solution can be handed to the local community and used to kickstart efforts to help their community, protecting Spruce Creek and ensuring the health of the water system.